


Confluence

by jennytork



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 16:06:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16537817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennytork/pseuds/jennytork
Summary: A mission of mercy goes very wrong, knocking AR-1 into a world where two of them aren't quite the same. Alternatively, an ordinary day is shattered when a version of AR-1 arrives in a damaged Jumper, a version where two of them have abilities. And then there are dragons.(You know it's going to be an interesting story when not one, but two AUs you create walk into your head and will not shut up. Art by danceswithgary.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Artwork for SGA Reverse Bang 2018: Avalon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540391) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary). 



The storm howled its rage as AR-1 watched the last of the Jumpers before them fly through the Gate, taking the last of the evacuees from PM6-225 to safety. Rodney glanced over at John and nodded. "That's the last of them. Just us left."

Hearing the tension in his friend's voice, John nodded. "Let's go home." He manipulated the controls by touch and thought, easy as breathing, and the Jumper lifted gracefully, heading for the Gate and home.

Just as they began to glide through the wormhole, the entire Jumper shuddered as a horrific noise sounded. Everyone, even normally calm Teyla, gasped. The controls failed and the interior went completely dark -- the only light was the swirling miasma of the wormhole.

Rodney was yelling something, but John was no longer listening. He was focusing all his attention on trying to get them back online before they came out the other side too hot. Before the wormhole fully grabbed them, he managed to get enough working to send a distress call back to Atlantis.

He found himself praying that it had gone through.

~*~*~*~*~*~

In Atlantis's control room, technician Campbell had just stood for a stretch when his console began to shriek at him. He frowned at the readout. "That's not right...." 

Alarms began to blare and he groaned, "Might not be right, but it's happening!" He raised his voice. "Emergency alert! Jumper coming in hot!"

"Whose IDC?" his CO said, walking over to him as the chief science officer slid behind his own console. 

"That's what doesn't make sense," Campbell began.

The science officer interrupted him. "It's us! It's our IDC!"

The CO sighed and triggered his radio. "Woolsey to the control room! Medical to the control room! Clear the Gate area! Jumper coming in hot!"

Within seconds, the area was clear and then he nodded at Campbell. "Open the iris."

The iris opened and the wormhole engaged. The Jumper didn't so much emerge as it was spit out, the back end on fire and landing awkwardly in the middle of the Gateroom. 

Instantly Marines swarmed, dousing the fire. Only then did the CO and the science officer approach the craft. The CO toggled his radio. "Jumper One, do you read?"

The soot and spiderwebbing from the crash prevented them seeing inside clearly, but they saw movement before the radio chirped and the reply came, in John Sheppard's voice. *Out of all the voices to come over the radio, I didn't expect it to be yours.*

The CO chuckled. "I understand. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you're not where you thought you were going to be."

*Fair assessment. I've got enough power I can get her to the Bay. Our doors are fused, but we can shatter the window and get out and I'd rather do it there.*

"Agreed. We'll meet you there." He watched the Jumper slowly rise toward the Bay and sighed. "Let's go."

The pair arrived to see Teyla and Ronon jogging toward them, Woolsey in tow. It was he who asked, "Is it true? Is it another AR-1?"

"Seems to be," the CO said. "This is going to be interesting."

The radio chirped and Sheppard's voice said, *You folks might want to step back. Just to be safe.*

Frowning, the CO stepped everyone back a few paces. "We're clear, Jumper One. You have a go." He had just finished explaining to the others that they were going to shatter the window to get out, when everyone fell silent in stunned shock.

The front window of Jumper One began to rapidly coat in something that looked like crystal. Once it was completely coated, there was a count of three beats. 

Then something that resembled the wormhole effect -- except it was crystalline -- smashed through the coated window with enough force that shards of crystal-coated glass landed mere centimeters from the entrance to the Bay. After another few seconds, the crystalline battering ram dissolved into nothingness.

Rodney McKay was revealed to be standing inside the Jumper, lowering his right hand as the wrist ceased pulsing with a strange energy. Beside him and slightly behind him stood the members of AR-1, each of them looking out with exhaustion and trepidation. 

One by one, with Ronon going first and Rodney last, the newcomers stepped out onto the nose of Jumper One and slid down, dropping easily to the ground. Once they were all safe, John nodded to Rodney and he made a banishing gesture. His wrist pulsed again, and what lay scattered on the floor was suddenly just plain glass.

"Well, then," the CO said as he stepped forward, his shoulders squaring. He walked not toward John, but stopped in front of Rodney, his head tilting slightly. "It would appear we have more than one thing to discuss, don't we, McKay?"

Rodney looked at him, at his uniform insignia, eyes widening in surprise before his shoulders slumped slightly. Then he breathed deeply and squared his own shoulders, raising his chin and looking the CO squarely in the eyes. "Seems to be the case, doesn't it -- Colonel McKay?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

After each of the newcomers had been checked out by Doctor Keller -- and Rodney had choked up a little bit at the realisation that it was his powers that had saved his world's Carson -- they met up again in the Jumper Bay and compared stories while the technicians worked to repair Jumper One.

"So," Colonel McKay said, handing over a peanut butter powerbar and getting a pleased smile from Rodney, "mutants are a genuine 'thing' in your world."

Rodney nodded as he swallowed his bite. "I'm one. Jeannie's one." At his near-double's reaction, he nodded a second time, slower. "Are you older or younger than her?"

"Older. By four years. You?"

"By six." 

Colonel McKay nodded. "And you can create crystal."

Rodney hummed, see-sawing his hand. "More like hardened air. It's not really rock. It's an optical illusion."

"And are they permanent or --"

"No, they only last an hour," John said, wandering over and sitting down, holding up his right wrist to show a thin bracelet of crystal standing out against the black of his wristband. As Colonel McKay watched, it seemed to unravel itself, vanishing as if it had never existed. "Then that happens."

Rodney chuckled as he crumpled up the powerbar wrapper and shoved it into a pocket of his vest, standing. "I'll go see if your counterpart needs any help." He reached a finger over and touched the wristband which John was still holding up. The bracelet reformed, and John lowered his arm as Rodney walked away.

"You Sheppards and your wrist decorations," Colonel McKay chuckled fondly. "That's a quirk that didn't make the transfer, fortunately."

"The transfer," John repeated. "So I take it you weren't always military."

"No." Colonel McKay picked idly at his sleeve, a tic that was very familiar to John from his Rodney's mannerisms. "There was an... incident... a couple of years ago. When it was said and done, we had lost Elizabeth..." Shadows of an old pain flitted across the blue eyes. "And my John and I suddenly found ourselves locked into each other's skill sets. Some personality traits were transferred as well, and the supergene was transferred. It was almost as if we'd been torn apart molecularly and put back together a little skewed." He chuckled. "Now if only my hypoglycaemia and citrus allergy had transferred, that would have ---" His head tilted. "What is it?"

John had frozen and Colonel McKay could almost see the wheels turning. Suddenly John whirled and locked eyes onto where the others were working on the Jumper. Colonel McKay saw his eyes widen and narrow slightly.

Then a padd was jerked out of Rodney's hands and floated a couple of feet away. Rodney grabbed for it and slapped Doctor Sheppard's shoulder, and they headed over together. 

Colonel McKay's eyes narrowed slightly. "So Doctor McKay isn't the only mutant."

"We prefer the term meta-human," John said with a shrug. "Relax, it's very mild telekinesis and it's connected with my sight-line. And we're the only two on the team."

"----told you, there are other ways to get my attention," Rodney grumbled as the pair sat down with them. "What is it?"

"Yeah, but they're not as fun," John grinned before he sobered. "The good colonel, here, said something that got me thinking about what might have caused this whole incident."

"Enlighten me," Rodney and Doctor Sheppard said together, then looked at each other and grinned before turning their attention back to the colonels.

John cocked a thumb at Colonel McKay. "He was telling me about the -- incident -- that exchanged your roles. He said it was almost like you'd been molecularly disassembled--"

Rodney's eyes widened. "And put together a bit -- off. And when we enter a wormhole--"

"Shit," Doctor Sheppard breathed, looking at the Jumper. "And if something interferes with the transfer---"

Colonel McKay nodded slowly. "You end up slightly skewed. In this case -- in a different reality. But what could have--"

"The storm?" John asked and Rodney nodded. "We were in a storm on PM6-225. We got hit by something right as we entered the Gate."

Doctor Sheppard said softly, "Lightning. That would account for the fusing of the doors and the damage in the electronics."

"And if it hit the Gate as well as us," Rodney put in. "That would account for how we ended up here."

John spread his hands. "But how do we get home? That takes a hell of a lot of power and we don't know how much these people can spare."

"I do," Colonel McKay said. "And we'll need help getting you there. We need to head back to PM6-225 -- our version," he grinned. "Why were you there?"

"Evacuating the populace before their system went nova," Rodney said. "It's not that here, then?"

"No, it's not," Doctor Sheppard smiled. "There's no human population there and the sun is stable. But we do have friendly relations with the native population and they might be willing to help us."

"Wait, I'm confused," Rodney said. "No human population, but you're friendly with what is there? What IS there, anyway?"

Doctor Sheppard's lopsided grin made the two meta-humans nervous.

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Five hours.

It had been five hours since Colonel McKay's team had gated to PM6-225, and John's team was getting anxious. They had congregated in the Gate Room, unwilling and seemingly unable to leave until they knew what was going on.

Woolsey finally came to join them. "Word came in," he informed them. "They've agreed to help and two representatives are coming through to investigate the Jumper and see what, if anything, they can do. But you need to step back and give them room. They're rather....large."

The Gate began to dial and John's team followed Woolsey up to the balcony where they could see but be out of the way of -- anything.

The wormhole engaged and for a long moment, nothing happened. Then Jumper One -- Colonel McKay clearly visible from that angle piloting -- glided seamlessly through and straight up, heading toward the Bay. For a long moment, nothing happened but the soft swirl of the energy inside the Gate.

Then a large crested reptilian head slowly emerged, followed by a long neck and a large body with four stocky limbs folded underneath it like a swimming crocodile. Two massive wings, resembling bats' wings, were next, followed by a tail as long as the neck. The creature curled itself into a loose circle and the Team on the balcony gasped as they felt the breeze generated by a single flap of the powerful wings that propelled the creature straight up -- toward the Bay, following the Jumper.

A second creature, identical in form but slightly smaller and a different colour, emerged and followed the first. The Team was dimly aware of Woolsey telling Campbell to transmit that their guests had arrived safely, and of the Gate shutting down. 

A bit uncharacteristically, Ronon was the first to find his voice. "That was...."

Teyla nodded, eyes wide. "Yes....That was."

John shook his head. "No way," he muttered. "There is no way that was...."

Rodney turned to him, his eyes so wide that the blue was ringed by white. ".....John, that was a DRAGON.....TWO of them...."

The four of them looked at each other for another long moment, then as one they bolted for the Bay.

They found the dragons circling their Jumper, growling softly to each other. At last, the larger one raised a claw to its throat and depressed a button on the collar that rested there. "Yes," a voice rumbled. "It is possible. But it must be done on planet. Will not risk your city."

Colonel McKay nodded. "And if your Gate is damaged?"

"We shall expect aid in repairing or replacing," the dragon replied.

"Agreed," Woolsey said, startling John's Team. They hadn't heard him arrive. "How soon can you be ready?"

The smaller dragon spoke through that translator. "Two of your hours. I shall remain to assist in repairs. You are almost there."

The larger one nudged Colonel McKay with his foreleg. "And you promised me a flight."

"Let's go, then." Colonel McKay headed back toward his Jumper One, and grinned at his counterpart. "You comin'?"

"Are you crazy?" Rodney squeaked. "Am I coming?" He grabbed a padd and took off, just one step behind John. "Wouldn't miss this for the world!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

After a wonderful flight and game of aerial tag around the spires of Atlantis, Jumper and dragon returned to the Bay, to find Doctor Sheppard and the smaller dragon practically vibrating with excited impatience.

Rodney laughed softly. "I know that body language. They've got an answer and can't wait to tell us."

The smaller dragon started talking even before they fully disembarked. "We need to recreate the circumstances. Our planet, lightning...."

"Yes, we knew this," the larger dragon interrupted. "You have discovered the means for the lightning, then?"

"It doesn't have to be lightning-lightning," Doctor Sheppard said. "Just something with the same force. It wasn't the heat, it was the force."

John nodded. "And what can hit both Gate and Jumper with the same force and be controlled?"

The smaller dragon's muzzle stretched into an almost feral smile. "A concussion blast from a Wraith dart."

Colonel McKay and John's spines both stiffened and they looked at each other before Colonel McKay said with deceptive calm, "You are not going to bring the Wraith to your world."

"No, we are not," the larger dragon said. "They have already been." At the humans' alarmed expressions, it raised a foreclaw and explained. "The creatures were scouting our world, looking for human forms. Of course, they found none, and left us alone. But two of their darts collided. They left them there, thinking there was nothing intelligent living onworld. They removed their dead and wounded, and left us the darts to study. We can use the concussion blast to aid you."

Then all that was left was the getting to the planet and the goodbyes. That was always the hard part. Rodney had Woolsey take a picture of the two Teams together. 

Woolsey agreed, provided Rodney allow him to videotape his power in action. Rodney agreed and for the camera created a pair of bantos rods from crystal, twirling them as Teyla had shown him and then making them disappear. He finished with a magician's flourish and grinned as he headed toward the Jumper.

Before Woolsey could shut it off, Ronon stuck his head in frame and rumbled, "His power means he's never unarmed anymore. It's really cool!" 

Woolsey would chuckle at that unexpected endorsement for months to come.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wow," was all Rodney could say for a moment as he looked around at all the dragons and the beautifully sunlit world they called home.

"Understatement," John chuckled, then sobered. "Hard to think that our version doesn't exist anymore."

Rodney nodded, then sighed. "Do you see the dart anywhere?"

"There," Ronon pointed to Rodney's right. "They've pulled the weaponry out. That's what it looks like apart from the dart."

Teyla nodded. "Agreed. They have it all ready for us."

"Wrapped up in a dragonhide bow," John said. "Let's go, then."

Nodding, Rodney dialed the Gate for Atlantis. The wormhole engaged and they saw a dragon land behind the concussion blast weapon, waiting patiently.

John took a deep breath. "Strap in, guys. Here we go." He manipulated the controls and the Jumper rose smoothly. John took her in a wide arc to gain momentum, then soared toward the Gate as the weapon began to whine with bulding energy. 

Just as they began to enter the wormhole, the dragon fired. The reaction was immediate. The energy caught both the Jumper and the Gate, blasting the craft fully into the ring and shutting it down instantly.

Dragons landed and watched for a few moments as the Gate sat silently, smoke rising from it. Then they did their own version of a cheer as the symbols lit one after another, announcing an incoming wormhole.

From Atlantis.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jumper One careened into the Gateroom and ended up parked at an awkward angle while the Team inside breathed raggedly, recovering. "Everybody okay?" John asked.

Three affirmative answers replied and Rodney breathed, "I hope that worked. I don't know how to tell if we're home or not..."

"We are," Teyla said firmly.

Rodney turned to look over his shoulder. "And you know that so precisely because--?"

Teyla smiled fondly at him and nodded toward the balcony where their Woolsey was standing, watching. He wasn't alone. "Those are some of the elders."

"That we evacuated this morning," John finished. "She's right -- we're home." His eyes were closed and he smiled as he felt the familiar brush of their Lantea against his mind. He'd not realised how badly he'd missed it until it was there again.

Rodney nudged him slightly. "Get us to the Bay, let me assess the damage that blast did."

John nodded and glided Jumper One to the Bay. Rodney began to examine the damage and found it wasn't nearly as bad as the actual lightning had done, but there was some to be fixed. 

Zelenka arrived and took over, kicking Rodney out so he could go get checked out with the rest of the Team. As they headed to the Infirmary, Rodney caught a huge grin slowly spreading across John's face. "What?"

"Dude," John grinned at him. "We flew with DRAGONS."

Rodney's laughter was full of delighted joy.

END


	2. Avalon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The artwork that inspired the story.

 

The beautiful artwork that inspired Confluence.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Artwork for SGA Reverse Bang 2018: Avalon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16540391) by [danceswithgary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithgary/pseuds/danceswithgary)




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